Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Sword's Domain
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“Uncle Lander! We’re heading out!”
Lander just motioned for the lizardman warrior to wait a moment, as he had much to discuss with him. The caravan was already far ahead.
Ethan scratched his head as he walked over to them. Ever since witnessing the battle last night, he had a ton of questions for Lander.
It was a fight unlike anything he’d ever seen.
He’d been watching from a distance when a deafening roar erupted, making him swallow hard in shock. How could blades clashing produce a sound like that? He couldn’t wrap his head around it even after seeing it.
Truth be told, he hadn’t clearly seen what they’d done. He’d only caught Tacha lunging in, the explosion of sound, and then the dust kicking up.
He wondered how many people had actually witnessed the decisive moment.
The real kicker came after. Red steam poured from Tacha’s body, and he charged at Lander with speed that was hard to track with the naked eye.
Thanks to Guchi’s explanation, he knew that was possession. Even from afar, he’d felt his body shrink under the pressure. It was astonishing that Lander had taken it head-on.
Tacha’s momentum was so overwhelming it seemed like his body had doubled in size. It didn’t look like a spar—it felt like a deathmatch where one had to fall.
Just when it seemed the spearhead and sword blade would tangle indefinitely, the red steam suddenly vanished from Tacha’s body.
And that was that. Lander caught the stumbling lizardman warrior as he collapsed. The victor was clear.
Tacha was a renowned warrior of the Taring tribe, so that made sense. But what about Lander?
This was a golden opportunity to broaden his horizons. A man who’d crushed a battle-mad lizardman warrior with sheer power. Just watching from the sidelines would sharpen his eyes.
He was thinking that as he took another step toward Lander when Tacha bellowed with a fierce scowl.
“Stay back!”
The shout made his body sway. Ethan steadied himself and looked at the lizardman warrior. Was it magic? No scroll in sight. Possession, maybe?
As the unexpected force left him reeling...
His eyes met Lander’s, who had turned. Lander was smiling. His lips moved slightly, saying something too far away to hear.
From the lip movements, it seemed like: Become a capable guide.
Lander’s cloak billowed out roundly before snapping taut. That’s when he realized it. The source of that unknown power wasn’t Tacha—it was Lander.
Lander’s hand touched the scabbard. His movements were languid. Even his five fingers curling around the hilt felt slow. What was the old man up to? Right at that moment of doubt...
The sky came into view.
He didn’t know why, but suddenly the sky was there. Not the familiar blue sky he saw every day. No clouds, no sun. Just an endless expanse.
His thoughts froze. Where had the man and lizardman who should’ve been in front of him gone? Why had the sky invaded his vision? What state was he in now? He knew nothing.
He could only stand there blankly before the overwhelming phenomenon, which he could only describe as vast—like the sky itself.
Then, moments later, the sky split. The immense sky was toppling toward him.
No thought of fleeing crossed his mind. The world was crashing down. No matter where he ran, crushing death awaited.
“Haa, haa, haa…”
Ethan squeezed out breaths as he looked around. Mountains, trees, and most importantly, a perfectly fine sky. A sky with the moon instead of the sun.
He touched his face with his hand, felt his body tilting backward, and grabbed what was in front. It was cold and smooth. Only much later did he realize it was Tacha’s neck.
“You’re awake.”
Tacha said. The lizardman warrior’s voice held a hint of concern. He needed to sort things out. What had happened? Just moments ago...
He craned his neck up to look at the sky again. Moon instead of sun? His sense of time slowly returned.
“Did I pass out?”
“Two days.”
“What? Two days? What about the caravan?”
He frantically scanned his surroundings. No sign of the wagons. Embarrassment and self-loathing washed over him.
A guide meant to be the caravan’s eyes, fainting without a clue and missing the wagons to boot.
“Lander finished the talk. Your job’s no longer escorting the caravan to Dun. It’s guiding me to the Holy City.”
“Holy City? Hold on. I don’t understand what’s...”
“No need to understand. Young guide, just lead me the right way.”
“Lead this, lead that—I’m completely out of it. What the hell happened? I was just going to call Uncle Lander.”
“You got swept in the domain.”
“Domain?”
“It was the sword of a great warrior. I’m almost ashamed I ever claimed to resemble it, even briefly. Who could mimic that sword?”
Awe laced Tacha’s words. What had he seen to turn a warrior burning with fighting spirit to reverence instead?
Ethan recounted the vision he’d seen while unconscious. It made no sense. Not scroll magic—could a person’s sword really conjure illusions?
“It wasn’t an illusion. Your mind perceived that sword as the sky, so you saw the sky. I saw a mountain.”
“That makes sense how?”
“If you see it and still don’t believe, you lack the qualities of a guide. See precisely. Perceive accurately. If you can’t, find another line of work.”
The words dug into his chest. He closed his eyes and calmly recalled it. The moment Lander gripped the scabbard. His breath tightened, heart pounding again.
The sky unfurled. Just imagining it left him powerless. He wanted to stop replaying it. If he kept on, he’d stop breathing.
But defiance sparked. A great guide wouldn’t close his eyes amid trials. He’d see clearer than anyone and judge precisely.
Focusing, he realized beneath the vast sky stood a man gripping a sword. Lander. He even saw him leisurely drawing it—but memory ended there.
A perfect blank followed. No matter how he tried, nothing came.
“I saw up to the old man drawing his sword. That’s it.”
At that, Tacha halted. He slowly turned his long neck, flashing a clear smile unlike any before.
“That’s enough.”
Tacha moved on. Ethan wiped cold sweat. Just thinking about it had drained him. He needed more rest on his back.
“Anyway, just guide you to the Holy City, right?”
“That’s right.”
“I don’t get it fully, but okay. What about pay? I’m a trainee guide, but I get compensated. It’s the rule.”
“You’ve already been paid. With something priceless.”
“Me?”
“You experienced the sky. A guide’s eyes opened—nothing more valuable.”
“What?”
“If you don’t get it, shut up and rest your eyes. You walk starting tomorrow.”
Tacha jabbed the ground with his staff. More urgent than sorting his tangled thoughts was recovering stamina. The heartless lizardman warrior would make him march at dawn.
“No food?”
Sleep was one thing, but hunger gnawed. Tacha handed over rations. He chewed the dried, tough bread. Dry mouth, foggy head, and Lander’s name kept surfacing.
“I’ll sleep first.”
Ethan shelved his thoughts and closed his eyes. He’d see it all eventually as a guide.
He could unravel the mysteries then. Feeling Tacha’s tail support his slipping body, he drifted off.
* * *
“Quiet!”
The sharp cry from the guards hushed the noise. A bloodshot-eyed guard stood before the chattering kids, glaring silently.
Their parents bowed and pulled the children close.
“I’ll say it now. Any suspicious moves at the inspection point means arrest, no questions. Fail to answer promptly or have issues with ID items—arrest. Complaints won’t help. It’s by law, so prepare thoroughly before entering.”
The guard repeated the same along the long queue and vanished.
“I heard Dun’s security was tight, but this is ridiculous.”
Guchi said, arms crossed, craning his neck ahead at the endless line like it personally offended him.
Lander sat on the ground, chin on his sword hilt. As Marie had said, inspections here were stricter than at the Holy City.
He got it. This wasn’t some minor issue—it was an attempt to smuggle Giant Soldier modules. This level of control was natural. Mild, even.
If modules made in Dun had truly been smuggled, it wouldn’t be checks; it’d be martial law and the military mobilizing.
“What happened to make it this tight?”
Weary, Guchi sat beside him.
“Right?”
He shrugged. He knew the situation but couldn’t say.
“Heard even 2nd Class Aristocrats got checked. Feels like someone in Dun’s plotting rebellion.”
“If that were out, they wouldn’t stop at tighter checks.”
“True. They’d have heads on spikes at the gate. Traitor skulls and all.”
A guard with a long prod approached. He lifted the wagon cover and poked around.
“Normally, we’d chat hellos and breeze in. This sucks.”
A caravanner muttered beside him. Even regulars like them faced thorough searches.
Only after the guard crawled under the wagon and finished did they move.
The wagons passed the gate, but not the people. One-on-one with inspectors remained. The caravan leader went first, followed by the members.
The leader’s advice—no chit-chat, answer only what’s asked—worked. No one got held.
“Lander Musc Ans. Retired soldier.”
The inspector glanced warmly at the guild-issued tag.
“Says here you were at Andun.”
“Yes. About three years.”
“Tough place, from what I hear. Served the Empire well. Know a Franz? My brother—he was at Andun too.”
“First I’ve heard of him. Low-rank, so I only knew my unit.”
“A hero of Andun, low-rank? Anyway, welcome to Dun.”
The inspector placed the tag on the open scroll. Red light flickered briefly.
“All good.”
Lander took back the tag and passed through the gate.
(To be continued)